Zuhair Iskander Abdulla, PhD
Postdoctoral AssociateAbout
Research
Publications
2024
Medial prefrontal cortex acetylcholine signaling mediates the ability to learn an active avoidance response following learned helplessness training
Abdulla Z, Mineur Y, Crouse R, Etherington I, Yousuf H, Na J, Picciotto M. Medial prefrontal cortex acetylcholine signaling mediates the ability to learn an active avoidance response following learned helplessness training. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024, 1-9. PMID: 39362985, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-02003-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMedial prefrontal cortexACh levelsInescapable stressorEscape performanceExposure to inescapable stressorsAcetylcholine signalingLearned helplessness taskLearned helplessness trainingStress-related circuitsActive avoidance taskActive avoidance testActive avoidance responseElevation of acetylcholineIncreased ACh levelsStress-related behaviorsImpaired escape performanceIncreased brain levelsTop-down controlHelplessness trainingPrefrontal cortexAvoidance taskChemogenetic inhibitionMaladaptive behaviorsAvoidance testNegative encoding
2023
Pathophysiology of nAChRs: Limbic circuits and related disorders
Mineur Y, Soares A, Etherington I, Abdulla Z, Picciotto M. Pathophysiology of nAChRs: Limbic circuits and related disorders. Pharmacological Research 2023, 191: 106745. PMID: 37011774, DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106745.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDepressive disorderMedication developmentLimbic system areasPreclinical pharmacological studiesHuman epidemiological studiesHuman affective disordersNicotinic acetylcholine receptorsAntidepressant efficacyClinical evidenceLimbic circuitsNicotine intakePreclinical modelsSpecific nAChRsEpidemiological studiesCurrent therapeuticsAffective disordersAcetylcholine receptorsRelated disordersPharmacological studiesStress disorderDisordersEtiology of anxietyNAChRsRelevant targetsEfficacy
2020
Creatine Transporter, Reduced in Colon Tissues From Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Regulates Energy Balance in Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Epithelial Integrity, and Barrier Function
Hall C, Lee J, Murphy E, Gerich M, Dran R, Glover L, Abdulla Z, Skelton M, Colgan S. Creatine Transporter, Reduced in Colon Tissues From Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Regulates Energy Balance in Intestinal Epithelial Cells, Epithelial Integrity, and Barrier Function. Gastroenterology 2020, 159: 984-998.e1. PMID: 32433978, PMCID: PMC7891846, DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.05.033.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAnimalsBiopsyCase-Control StudiesCell LineColitis, UlcerativeColonCrohn DiseaseEnergy MetabolismEpithelial CellsFemaleGene Knockdown TechniquesHumansIntestinal MucosaMaleMembrane Transport ProteinsMiceMice, KnockoutMiddle AgedMitochondriaNerve Tissue ProteinsPlasma Membrane Neurotransmitter Transport ProteinsTight JunctionsConceptsInflammatory bowel diseaseIntestinal epithelial cellsColon tissuesTransepithelial electrical resistanceBarrier functionBowel diseaseTight junctionsSeverity of colitisEpithelial cellsInactive Crohn's diseaseIntestinal barrier dysfunctionMucosal biopsy specimensQRT-PCREpithelial integrityQuantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reactionReverse transcription-polymerase chain reactionIEC cell linesMucosal biopsiesUlcerative colitisCrohn's diseaseControl miceBarrier dysfunctionPolymerase chain reactionBiopsy specimensPatients
2019
Creatine transporter knockout mice (Slc6a8) show increases in serotonin-related proteins and are resilient to learned helplessness
Abdulla ZI, Pennington JL, Gutierrez A, Skelton MR. Creatine transporter knockout mice (Slc6a8) show increases in serotonin-related proteins and are resilient to learned helplessness. Behavioural Brain Research 2019, 377: 112254. PMID: 31542396, DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112254.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAffective disordersCreatine transporter knockout miceAffective-like behaviorTail suspension testTransporter knockout miceMonoamine oxidase proteinFemale miceMale miceWildtype miceDeficient miceBehavioral despairEscape latencyCRT expressionKnockout miceMiceSLC6A8DisordersHippocampusFurther investigationCellular bioenergeticsHigh ATP concentrationsCr transporterComplex roleATP concentrationDeletion of the Creatine Transporter (Slc6a8) in Dopaminergic Neurons Leads to Hyperactivity in Mice
Abdulla ZI, Pahlevani B, Lundgren KH, Pennington JL, Udobi KC, Seroogy KB, Skelton MR. Deletion of the Creatine Transporter (Slc6a8) in Dopaminergic Neurons Leads to Hyperactivity in Mice. Journal Of Molecular Neuroscience 2019, 70: 102-111. PMID: 31520365, PMCID: PMC7001766, DOI: 10.1007/s12031-019-01405-w.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCr transporter deficiencyDopaminergic neuronsMotor functionLocomotor activityChallenging beam testSpontaneous activity testMonths of ageAttention deficit hyperactivity disorderCerebral Cr deficiencySpecific neuronal systemsUnique metabolic demandsCerebral creatineHindlimb stepsControl miceNeurological effectsSpontaneous activityMice ageSLC6A8 geneTransporter deficiencyNeurodegenerative disordersDopamine transporterNeuronal systemsMiceCreatine transporterHuntington's diseaseDeletion of the creatine transporter gene in neonatal, but not adult, mice leads to cognitive deficits
Udobi KC, Delcimmuto N, Kokenge AN, Abdulla ZI, Perna MK, Skelton MR. Deletion of the creatine transporter gene in neonatal, but not adult, mice leads to cognitive deficits. Journal Of Inherited Metabolic Disease 2019, 42: 966-974. PMID: 31209903, PMCID: PMC6739135, DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12137.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMorris water mazeKnockout miceSLC6A8 geneWater mazeBrain developmentCrT deficiencyTamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinaseAdministration of tamoxifenNovel object recognitionCreatine transporter geneProper control groupSevere intellectual disabilityBrain CrControl miceAdenosine triphosphateHuman ubiquitin C promoterAdult miceBehavioral testingControl groupPrevalent causeLocomotor activityUbiquitin C promoterCognitive deficitsMiceCre recombinase
2016
Developmental manganese neurotoxicity in rats: Cognitive deficits in allocentric and egocentric learning and memory
Amos-Kroohs RM, Davenport LL, Atanasova N, Abdulla ZI, Skelton MR, Vorhees CV, Williams MT. Developmental manganese neurotoxicity in rats: Cognitive deficits in allocentric and egocentric learning and memory. Neurotoxicology And Teratology 2016, 59: 16-26. PMID: 27756629, PMCID: PMC5235975, DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2016.10.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCognitive deficitsDevelopmental stressStriatal-dependent learningEgocentric learningMorris water mazeCA1 hippocampal long-term potentiationLong-term potentiationImpaired learningSpatial learningMnOEMemoryMultiple domainsSeparate offspringWater mazeIron-sufficient dietHippocampal long-term potentiationLearningU.S. childrenStandard beddingMazeDeficitsAllocentricMn overexposureChildrenSocio-economic areas
2013
Postnatal manganese exposure does not alter dopamine autoreceptor sensitivity in adult and adolescent male rats
McDougall SA, Mohd-Yusof A, Kaplan GJ, Abdulla ZI, Lee RJ, Crawford CA. Postnatal manganese exposure does not alter dopamine autoreceptor sensitivity in adult and adolescent male rats. European Journal Of Pharmacology 2013, 706: 4-10. PMID: 23458069, PMCID: PMC3633626, DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2013.02.030.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDopamine autoreceptor sensitivityEarly Mn exposureAutoreceptor sensitivityDopamine autoreceptorsMale ratsDopamine synthesisMn exposureDorsal striatumD2 receptor concentrationsPostnatal manganese exposureStriatal DOPA accumulationDopamine transporter levelsAdolescent male ratsPostnatal day 1Autoreceptor effectsApomorphine treatmentDOPA accumulationPD-1Haloperidol treatmentPresynaptic mechanismsControl ratsDOPA levelsD2 receptorsLong-term reductionAdult rats